Nut lock



W. L. FEES.

NUT Locx. APPLlCATlON H LED MAR- 5| I921.

Patented Mar. 21, 19 22.

INVENTOR (A/ILLIA/I-L- F555 Hm ATTORNEYS.

UNITED STATES WILLIAM LJFEES, or ELYRIA', onro.

NUT LOCK.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patent d M 21 1922 Application filed March 5,1921. Serial No. 449,634.

To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, YVILLIAM L. Fans, a citizen of the United States, residing at Elyria, in the county of Lorain and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and use ful Improvements in Nut Locks; and I do hereby declare the following to bee full, clear, concise, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. i

My invention relates to nut locks, and more particularly to that type of nut locks wherein a nut is maintained in set position upon a bolt end after having been tightly turned up thereon, such nut being held against loosening due to vibration, jolts, jars and the like, the same being accomplished without providing a bolt of special design, the nut lock of my invention being applicable to any well known type of bolt. The invention comprises as novel elements a'nut and washer in combination, having co-opcrating engaging portions whereby relative movement of the nut and washer is prevented in such a direction as would tend to sepa rate the nut from the washer.

My invention will be better understood by reference to the drawings forming a part of this specification, and in which drawings- Fig. 1 shows a top plan view of a nut embodying a portion of my invention.

Fig. 2 shows a bottom plan view of my improved washer. Fig. 3 shows a side elevation of a bolt end upon whichend the nutand washer of my invention are shown in place, the nut being threaded upon the end of the bolt and the washer being pressed by the said bolt between the surface of aperforated beam.

Fig. 4 shows a vertical cross-sectional view of the nut illustrated in Fig. 1, the same being taken through the middlev of the nut.

Fig. 5 shows a top plan view of the washer illustrated in Fig. 2. Fig. 6showsa side" elevational view of the said washer. I l

Referring now to the drawings, in all of which like parts are designated by like reference characters, at 2 I show a nut having a threaded inner wall 15, the outer wall being of any preferred shape, that of theembodimentillustrated in the drawing being hex- ,a'gonal in horizontal sections. Thertop surface of the nut may bestraighaas shown,

. washer and. t

or any other desired shape, and the bottom wall or end of the nut has a curved portion 18, the curvature extending. from the'inner threaded wall of the nut nearly to the outer wallthereof. Upon the bottom (as viewed n Fig.3) end of the nut,and near its edges, s provided a plurality of ratchet teeth proecting downwardly from the. surface of the bottom end of the nut, said teeth being equally spaced, and being preferably either three or six in number, the embodiment of my invention illustrated showing three such teeth. My reason for determining upon three such teeth, or six, if desired, is that with a hexagonal nut, as shown, these teeth may be disposed on the bottom surface adj acent the corners, which are sixin number, and In theembodiment illustrated said teeth being disposed at alternate corners.

These teeth having a vertical ratchet holding face and an inclined lower surface. The washer comprising the holding means for the said nut, in combination with the said nut teeth, which are illustrated at 14, 16 and 17 is shown at 4, said washer being annular in shape, the interior opening 19 being adapted to fit over the end of a'bolt, said opening being embraced by an adjacent upwardly and inwardly extending curved spring portion having spring member 22 an-d23, said spring members beingcarried upon an outwardly extending flange portion 5, constituting the main body of the -washer. The spring members 22 and 23' are separated by slots 6 and 7, which adds to the elasticity of each spring member, enabling itto move independently of the other under the compressive stress exerted by the nut when thelnut is placed over the washer and turnedup tightly thereagainst- Y The washer 4 has its outer flange. main body portion of flattened shape, but at equally spaced portions on its .np'per surface are; notches 8, 9 and 10 adapted to receive the ratchet teeth 14, 16 and 17 of the nut when the nut is in place over the washer upon a bolt. The washer 4 on its bottom surface has teeth 11, 12 and lf l, whichwhen the washer is tightly clamped by the nut against the surface of a secured -member, such as the beam 25 shown in Fig. 3, will bite into the material of the said beam to grip the same and revent relative rotation; of, the be he beam or other securedinem- The upwardly and inwardly curved spring member 22 and 23 may be of such shape as deformed truncated sections oi' substantially concentric spheroids, or they may be sections of other more regularly shaped elements than spheroids, but with outer curved walls. It is, however, an objector my invention to so shape the members 22' and 23 that while a being somewhat stiff, they still may be sufficiently resilient that they may havetheir inner ends deflected toward the bolt when the nut 2 is screwed down on the bolt, the bottom curved surfaQelS of the nut engaging the curved surface 26 of the washer, and so also as to make up for the longitudinal movement which the nut 2 may have upon the bolt 1, due to the engaging threads'ot the nut and boltnot fitting tightly.

' Itwill be observed that the engaging faces of the nut and washer are both curved,the washer being convexly curved and the nut having a concave curvature, the curvature of the nut face being different from'th'at of the engaged washer face. This is done so as to provide a camming action between the opposing faces of the nut and washer, and the washer spring members 22 and 23 being flexible have their innerface curved inwardly byvlrtue of this camming action, at the same time by their resiliency exerting a retract-lye effort against the bottom curved surface of the nut; V

In use thewasher is simply placedover the end of the bolt andagainst the member, such as the beam 25, to be clamped, thebolt 1 extending'through on opening 24 through the said beam, and-the threaded nut is turned down upon the threaded end of. the" bolt tightly with a wrench, until tightly secured, at which time, due to the resiliency olfthe curved spring member 22 and 23, the teeth 14, 16 and 17 of the nut will be seated with in the notches 8, 9 and '10; Relative move nient of thenut in thefopposite direction fromthatin whichit was turned when being put into place will then be prevented by the action of the ratchet vertical faces of the teeth on thenut andwasher engagi1ig,tliere being no 'su chfcamming action bysnchfaces of such teeth as by the more ol'alique top and bottom faces of the ratchet teeth on washer and nut respectively as whenthe nut turned into place.

v i r r 'ving thus described my invention; 1

wish are be 'iinderstood that when speaking 01; top and bottom ends or facesoi thenut or ot'the washer, thisis done with reference to the'iiut and washerbeing placed in such a position'as is" illustrated in Fig; .3, it being understood that these relative positions may be reversed orthe bolt may be placed horiz' onta1ly,-.or inany other desired position, "thus altering the terminology "which would iii shch cl ases need to be employed" to define "such faces so placed. 7

and means to I also wish it to be understood that numerone and extensive departures may be made from the form of my invention herein illustratedand described, but without departing from the spirit ofmy invention.

What I claim is: 1,7 In combination, a nut lock comprising a nut having a threaded inner wall adapted to be secured on athreaded bolt, a washer nut being concavely curved, the border portion of the said end wall having formed thereon a plurality of ratchet teeth, said ratchet teeth being located equidistant fromeach other, said washer having ratchet notches equal in number to the said nut ratchetteeth, said teeth being adapted to register within the said notches when the said bolt and washer are secured'tightly in place upon a nut, the washer curved springmembers bemg adapted by then inherent resiliency to have theirends deflected inwardly and downwardly by'the engaging concavely curved portion of the said nut, prevent rotation of the said washers. V

2.1n combination, a locking nut mechanism, comprising a nut, a washer, a threaded bolt. said nut being adapted to be threaded on the bolt; said washer having a peripherally located portion which is substantially rigid, and an inner, upwardly extending, relatively flexible'poftion adapted to; be compressed by the said nut, and rigid ri-ztchet teeth and adjoining ratchet 'depressi'ons onboth said nut clamping surface and said washer peripheral portion, the teeth of eachpointing oppositely and adapted to fit within the depressions of the other, the 0ppositely pointing ratchet teetlrof each having faces adapted to prevent relative rotation of the nut and washer in onedirection. V

32in combination, a locking nut mechan sm,compr1s1ng a nut, a washer, a threaded "bolt, nut being adapted 'to be threaded on the bol -3 said washer having a peripherally located portion which is si bstantially rigid, and an inner. upwardly extending, relatively flexible portion adapted to be compressed bv'said nut. and rigid ratchet teeth said nut clamping surface and said washer peripheral phrtion, the teeth oieach pointing oppositely. and adaptedto tit'within the depressions oft-11eother, the oppositely pointing ratchet teethof each having faces.

and adjoining ratchet depressions on both adapted to! prevent relative rotation of the nut'and washer in one direction, saidflexible portion of said Washer being generally of the form of a truncated section of a hemisphere taken near the base thereof.

l. In combination, a locking nut mechanism, comprising a nut, a Washer, a threaded bolt, said nut being adapted to be threaded on the bolt, said Washer having a peripherally located portion which is substantially rigid, and an inner, upwardly extending, relatively flexible portion adapted to be compressed by the said nut, and rigid ratchet teeth and adjoining ratchet depressions on both said nut clamping surface and said washer peripheral portion, the teeth ofeach pointing oppositely, and adapted to fit within the depressions of the other, the oppositely pointing ratchet teeth of each having faces adapted to prevent relative rotation of the nut and washer in one direction, said flexible portion being deeply notched to permit independent movement of the two separated portions.

having faces adapted to prevent relative rotation of the nut and washer in one direction, said washer having teeth on its face opposite the nut engaging face to prevent its rotation.

In Witness whereof, I have hereunto signed my name.

WILLIAM L. FEES. 

